Red Sands Gaara Story Blue Seas
by Your.Neko.Chan
Summary: A Gaara love story. Yuki is our hero and at the beginning she is a mere 5 years old while Gaara is 6. Enjoy. OC. There may be the occasional slip up where I leave a swear word or whatever, so if you don't like swearing or violence don't read
1. The Begining

Ok The usual deal, I do not own Naruto. I do own Yuki and the plot is a mix of my creating as well as Masashi Kishimotos excellent Manga. No need to sue me people. Enjoy.

**[Red Sands] Gaara Story [Blue Seas] **

**Part 1**

The Girl was sat on the roof watching the other children play again. This time it was soccer, no rules, no goals. There was a little boy watching them as well, but he was sat one of the swings right near where they were playing. Although the girl was a little younger then the other children she didn't play with them because they wouldn't go near her. She wasn't as upset anymore but it did bother her. She did know that she wouldn't be able to change their minds so she didn't bother trying to. There was a boy that The Girl always drew whenever she watched the children playing because He was always there to inspire her. She wanted this boy to notice her more than anyone else, because they were both treated badly by the villagers. He hadn't noticed her yet, but she could tell that he would soon, so she waited patiently.

One day, She had begun drawing and took care in not making a single mistake; although she had drawn him so many times she could probably draw him in her sleep and not make a mistake. She looked up and saw one of the children kick the ball so hard it flew up and got stuck in a hole in the wall. "Oh crap! We haven't learnt the 'Wall-climbing no jutsu' yet… what do we do?" The Girl heard one of them say. She saw the boy stand up, drop his teddy bear, and take a step forward, leaving his teddy bear on the floor, as she watched the ball fly into his hands, because of the sand that he could control. The other children saw this too, but instead of thanking the boy they ran away, screaming. "Wait!" Cried the boy, She saw the hurt look on his face and knew that he was about to accidentally do the wrong thing. He sent sand after the children trying to get them to stop, to let them know that he didn't want to hurt them, he just wanted to be friends with them, for someone, anyone, to like him. The Girl jumped to her feet. The Girl saw a man known as Yashamaru jump in front of a child as the sand flew towards him and heard him shout "Lord Gaara, please calm yourself down!". Gaara saw him and stopped the sand.

The Girl saw the children leave and knew that Gaara would go home with his Uncle and knew that She would soon be engulfed in loneliness again. She knew it was silly to not feel lonely when no one was looking at you but She just didn't feel lonely when She watched the other children. She jumped off the roof and walked to where the children had just been playing. She picked up the ball that Gaara had dropped and then picked up the teddy bear. She went to the house of the boy who owned the ball and put it down with a note saying '_You should go easy on Gaara, he didn't ask for anyone to hate or fear him. Please give him a chance, he means no harm._' She then knocked on the door and hid somewhere where she could hear anything and could see the boy. The boy came to the door and picked up the ball and read the note. The Girl heard him say "Why should I give Gaara of the Desert a chance when he threatens our lives with that sand of his?" then he turned and walked back inside. She thought to herself 'He doesn't mean any harm. You cause more harm than Gaara-Kun does. He didn't ask for this!' When anyone was like this to Gaara it made her upset.

The Girl went back to the roof that she was sitting on before to pick up her drawing things, but when she got there she noticed that the wind had blown away some of her paper. She picked up everything that was still on the roof top and put it on her desk in her house, then went back to the play area to see if her paper had been blown in that direction. She really wanted to get her unfinished picture back before anyone saw it. The Girl was taking a closer look at Gaara's teddy bear when she arrived. Then she saw that someone was holding two of her pictures, her unfinished one and the one that she had finished the day before. The finished one was of a dream she had had where she was lay in bed with her back to the window and Gaara was looking through it at her. She felt silly now that He was looking at it but She still liked the picture. She looked at the floor at his feet and he said as he looked at her from the drawings "The girl is you, huh? But why am I in your pictures? Don't you hate or fear me? Why aren't you running away from me? Everyone else does…" he looked sad.

The Girl took a deep breath and said "I do not hate you Gaara-kun, I would never hate you. I guess the girl in the picture is me, but the person that appears most in my pictures is you. I guess it's because you are the person I admire most in the world. I'm not running away because I don't run from people that I like, and I have liked you ever since the first time I saw you." She said it all so fast that it took a minute for Gaara to take it all in but before he could say anything else The Girl remembered that she had Gaara's bear and added "Oh, I think this is yours too." while holding the bear out to him. Gaara took the bear and smiled at her. "Thank you. You are very nice to me. In fact this bear is the reason I found your drawings, I came back looking for it. Instead I found your pictures, I was very surprised. Now I'm just shocked though. Why? I guess it's because I still can't grasp that you are not afraid of me. What would your father and mother say if they knew you were talking to me?" The Girl looked at the floor, smiled fading back to a frown and said "I wouldn't know. I don't know who they are or where they are. I don't know anything about them. Even though I spend most of my time drawing, I spend all of my time alone, without a say in the matter." She trailed off slightly towards the end but Gaara still heard everything. "Can we talk again tomorrow? I would really like to see more of your drawings. I know this might be inappropriate but I want to end the loneliness that we both feel. Please be my friend." He had a slight smile on his face, a look of hopefulness even. The Girl smiled and said "I will be your friend but I do have one thing to point out first." Gaara looked puzzled and asked "What is it?" The Girl smiled and said "You don't know my name yet!" and giggled. Gaara smiled back at The Girl and said "Well then, what is your name?" She giggled again and said "My name is Yuki Kyo."

So this was my story. You like? (If you nod) Good. You don't like, then I don't really care. Please feel free to review. Flames will be used to bake cookies that will NOT be shared with flamers. Also feel free to read my other stories.

Catch ya next time.


	2. Friendship Unfolds

Ok, usual disclaimer, I'm not going to write the disclaimer again. In this chapter I did use part of the Anime/Manga script though, so yeah, once again don't sue. If you haven't read the part where Gaara divulges the secrets of his past, than 1) you're really far behind, and 2) this is a MAJOR spoiler for you. I didn't really like writing the last bit, but it was necessary. Enjoy.

**Part 2**

"Gaara-Kun!" Yuki shouted, waking from another nightmare. That must have been the third one this week. She and Gaara had been friends for just over a year now and for some reason she just started having nightmares. They were all the same, it would start with Yuki and Gaara playing in the playground where they became friends and then two people would pick them up and take them away from each other. They would struggle and break free but no matter how hard they ran they couldn't get back to each other. The dreams scared Yuki badly. She wanted to tell Gaara but didn't know what his reaction would be. She got up and had a shower, she would worry about the dreams later. When she was dressed she picked up her trinket box off her desk and left the little apartment that her parents got her before they disappeared from her life. She went to the tallest building in the village and sat on the top.

"You're early, Yuki. Didn't you say dawn?"

Yuki looked over her shoulder. "I didn't see you there Gaara-kun. How are you this morning?"

Gaara sighed and sat beside Yuki. "I'm worried, Yuki."

She looked at him, puzzled "Worried about what?" Her heart sank as he looked at her through sad eyes.

"You had another nightmare, didn't you? You always come here when you have nightmares, but why won't you tell me about it? I might be able to help, even if I can't sleep. So do you want to talk about it?" She could hear the sadness in his voice and her heart sank deeper still.

"Do you know what is in this box, Gaara?" He shook his head. "I might not want to talk about the dreams but I do need your help with this. This may help stop the dreams, even if it is caused by them. I'm worried about our friendship so I'm going to make something that will keep us together even is we're apart, because we'll always be in each others hearts." Yuki opened the box as she talked and took out two pieces of string. "Can I borrow some sand? I'm not completely sure this will work but I'll never know if I don't try." Gaara looked confused but saw that Yuki was determined to do this, with or without his help.

"What do you want me to do?" Yuki was surprised at the change of tone in his voice but smiled and said "Just put two small piles of sand in front of me, I'll do the rest." He did as she asked and watched in amazement as she surrounded the sand with water, shaped it and turned the water to ice. The ice was light but it couldn't be broken or melted. She attached the miniature ice sculptures to the pieces of string and, making sure that there was room to fasten it, wrapped the necklace in ice. She then took the necklaces out of the air and held them in her hands. "I'm surprised that worked." She said, slightly breathless but smiling none the less.

Gaara took the necklaces gently out of her hands and examined them "They have our names on them" He said looking up at her. He held out the one with 'Yuki' written on it. Yuki thought that even though he looked confused, he looked happy. She took both necklaces and said "Of course they do, it's so you never forget me and I never forget you." She put the necklace with her name on it around his neck and sat down again, looking at the necklace in her hands. "It's a gift for you. If we get separated then at least we will always have something to remember each other by. Gaara, you're like the family I never had. I did this, not only because of the dreams but because I wanted you to know that, forever. I hope you feel the same way." She trailed off near the end. She stayed looking at the necklace, not wanting to see him say that he didn't feel the same way.

There was a silence which felt like forever to Yuki, after which Gaara lent forwards, took the necklace out of her hands once again and said quietly, while putting the necklace on Yuki, "Yuki, I may have a family but they hate me as much as the rest of the village. You are the only one ever to be nice to me, while meaning it. As far as I'm concerned, you **are** my family." Yuki looked up at Gaara. She didn't know why she was crying. She didn't know why she was shaking. All she knew was that she could never like anyone more than she liked Gaara. She hugged him close to her, and didn't let go. She had never liked anyone this much before. "Gaara-Kun! You always know what to say to cheer me up! You just have to be there and you make me feel happy. I couldn't have made it through this past year without you." She managed to say between sobs. Gaara laughed because he knew she was happy, and said "Yuki, I think you need to sit down, your leaning on me quite a bit." His smile lessened a bit as his face grew slightly more serious "Erm, Yuki, uh… I think that… Whoa!" Gaara's' knees buckled slightly as Yuki passed out while he was talking. He picked her up, bridal style, and said "I knew you used up a lot of chakra but I didn't think you'd pass out this quickly. I'd better get you to your home, you need rest. I guess our plans for today can wait for a couple of days." He paused, sighed and whispered "I'll tell you one day, I promise." He hugged her close for a minute and then stepped onto a cloud of sand. He picked up her belongings with some more sand and went to her apartment.

As Gaara put Yuki on her bed, he glanced around the room. He put the trinket box on the desk where he had seen it once, the only time he had been in her apartment. He looked at the drawings that were on the desk. He smiled as he saw the over time she had stuck some pictures on the walls, piled them up on the desk, while others lay on the floor for various reasons. Over the year that he had known her the drawings had increased, both in number and in detail. Even though there were so many drawings there was only one that had been drawn twice. One that Yuki had dreamt about, that she had made in hopes that one day; maybe, this dream would become a reality. It was a drawing of Gaara and herself, aged about 18. Gaara was stood next to Yuki wearing the Kazekage outfit, with one hand around Yuki's waist. Yuki was wearing the ANBU outfit, holding the ANBU mask in one hand and a baby in the crook of her other arm, the one next to Gaara. She had given Gaara a copy one day, just before she went home. She didn't know that he kept it with him all the time, no one did.

"Gaara-Kun!" Yuki sat up from the second nightmare that day, this time into the arms of the boy she shouted for.

"What is it Yuki-Chan?" Gaara asked hurriedly, holding her close.

Yuki relaxed a bit, calmed down and said "It was just another dream. It doesn't matter. Did you bring me here? The last thing I remember… um, I think I was hugging you and you were talking, then… nothing." Gaara went to get a glass of water for her.

"Yes I brought you here. But I think you should talk to someone about these dreams. How about Chiyo-Baasama? She might be able to stop the dreams, and maybe tell you what they are about." Yuki watched as he tried to pour the water into the glass. "Yuki-Chan! Haha, you've had your fun but can I pour you a drink?" She giggled and let the water come out of the tap. "Thank you." He said as he walked over to the bed, giving her the glass and watching her as she drank the whole glass in one. She put the glass down and looked at him with soft eyes.

"Thank you Gaara-Kun, for everything. I'll think about what you said about seeing Chiyo-Baasama. I owe you for bringing me here and looking after me while I recover. Would it be okay if you came back after, it's just I'm used to having a shower after I wake up." Yuki blushed and looked down, "I'm rambling, aren't I?"

Gaara smiled "Yes, you are. But that's what you do. It's okay. I'll be back in an hour. That should be more than enough time, right?" Yuki nodded and Gaara jumped through Yuki's open window onto a cloud of sand.

Yuki smiled to herself as she walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She got her change of clothes and put them on the floor of the bathroom, then jumped into the shower. Using her powers, she adjusted the temperature of the water. Fifteen minutes later she stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around herself and took most of the water out of her hair. 'Gaara-kun always says my hair looks like the night sky when it's damp.' She thought to herself, smiling. She put on her black, red and purple kimono, and brushed her hair.

"Ten more minutes." She said to herself. She sat at her desk and tried to finish the drawing she was doing. She looked at it and smiled, it was a drawing the looked like a photo. It had Gaara and Yuki stood together, both facing forwards, smiling brightly and both holding up their necklaces. They may have only made them that night but she had been planning it for a while. She had just put her eraser down, after erasing a line, when there was a knock at the door. "Who is it?" she called. She stood and walked to the door. She reached for the door handle just as the door was thrown open with such force that she was sent flying across the room and into the wall, where she didn't get up. The man that had burst through the door grinned menacingly, picked up Yuki and threw her over his shoulder.

***One hour previously. Gaara's point of view***

I jump out of Yuki's window and lower myself to the floor. I walk around the market area of the village, thinking of what to say to Yuki when I get back. I stop outside of a shop and decide to buy some rice balls, knowing that they are both Yuki's and my own favourite food. I go back to the tallest building in the town. I enjoyed eating here, watching the people going about their daily business, and only hearing a gentle hum of the town and the wind from the desert. Home was not a place of happiness for me, so I rarely went there.

As I finish my lunch, I see the Kazekage talking to one of the villages ANBU. I see the ANBU nod to the Kazekage and go to the outskirts of town. My curiosity attempts to get the better of me but I ignore it and I concentrate more on how nervous I am. I stand up and stretch. I decide to go and get a drink, so I walk to a local shop where I buy a bottle of water. "Arigato." I say as I turn to leave but am almost sent flying into the shop keeper as a man dressed in dark brown runs past. Instead of stopping and apologising to the people he banged into, he continues to run. I see that he knocked a woman's shopping out of her hands and help her pick it up, using my sand. This, of course, earns me several dirty looks and even a scream. I roll my eyes and jump onto the roof of the shop.

I take a drink of the water and begin to walk towards Yuki's house. I couldn't decide how best to explain how I felt. I look at the necklace that she made and smile as I see her name on the heart shaped crystal, which is surprisingly warm considering it is made from ice. I am a few buildings away from Yuki's home when I see the man in brown running towards the ANBU, the one that the Kazekage was talking to, with something over his shoulder. I glimpse something that looks like black hair and my heart skips a beat. 'Not Yuki! Please don't be Yuki!' I think as I run as fast as I can to Yuki's home in the near apartment building.

I walk down the hall to her apartment and my heart sinks as I see the door open and hanging off one hinge. I walk through the broken door and feel tears begin to fall. I look around the messed up room looking for my only friend and shouting out her name, but I don't see or hear her anywhere. I look at the desk and see a drawing, "She must have been finishing this when this happened." I pick it up and decide to keep it until I can give it to her, Because I will find her and bring her back, and then I can tell her how I feel. It won't be long until I find you, I know it. I make the sand tidy up a little, and block off the door, so the only people that can get through are Yuki and I. I jump out of the window and lower myself onto the roof of a house. I run as fast as I can over the roofs of shops and houses, towards the one person that would know where Yuki is. I need to know what has happened to her and why! I'll find you Yuki! I promise!

I stop at the edge of the roof and look down in disgust. I drop down in front of the person I've been searching for. "G-Gaara… Wh-what are you d-doing here?" He stammered. "Father." He took a step back, "Why Father? Why Yuki? What did she do to deserve this?" Sand rose up around me and was ready to do my every command. The Kazekage took another step backwards and raised his hands, almost as if trying to form a barrier between us. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I snarled and stepped forwards, "You know exactly what I'm talking about! I saw you talking to the ANBU before! The ANBU that abducted her! Now, where did he take her?" He nervously eyed the sand around me. I may be 7½ but that didn't stop the village fearing me. "Gaara, I don't know what you're talking about and if you kill me then the villagers will hunt you down and kill you. You don't want that, do you?" I glare at him one last time and jump back onto the roof.

I go to a roof near Yashamaru's home to sit down. I begin to cry for my lost friend. Suddenly I feel kunai hit the sand that jumps up to protect me. I turn to see a ninja throwing more kunai at me. What?... Why? Why me? Only me! I wrap sand around the ninja as more kunai hit the sand that is defending me. I crush the ninja with the sand, feeling several bones break, but knowing that I hadn't killed it. I release the sand and watch the ninja fall to the floor and see it tremble slightly.

I walk over slowly, and kneel near the ninja. Who? I swallow, almost as if I was trying to push my heart away from my throat, where it was beating a tattoo against my Adams apple. Why? I reach a shaking hand to the cloth covering the ninjas face. I pull the cloth away. "Impressive… Lord Gaara…" Yashamaru says as I look at his blood splattered face. Yashamaru… My eyes widen "UAAAHHH!" I lean forward and rest my forehead against the floor as I scream, hands gripping the back of my head. Tears running down my face, as I feel so many emotions.

I finally raise my head and let one hand fall. "W… Why..? Why… Why is it…? Why you…? Why…! Why!" He turns his head slightly "Always… You were always… only you were my…"

Yashamaru opens his eyes and says calmly "It was an order. I was ordered to assassinate you. By your father, Kazekage-sama." My father. I feel the bile reach my throat and I vomit. "Father… Why… would he want me dead?" I can't understand. Yashamaru says "You were born… to be possessed by the Sand Shukaku… Until today you have been watched over as an experimental subject… However you are yet unable to control the powers of the living spirit Shukaku… Before long your existence will become too dangerous to the village itself… We couldn't let that happen…" I listen to him talk. I swallow again and look up, slightly hopeful "Then… then you had no choice… It was because of my father…" He looks at me "No. You're mistaken… Yes I did receive Kazekage-sama's order… But I would've declined it if I wanted to." I gasp and tremble more then ever, my world falling down around me. "Lord Gaara… deep down inside… I must have always… resented you… for coming into this world, stealing the life away from my beloved sister… I tried my best to love you by thinking of you as her memento… but I couldn't… she never wished to give birth to you… she was sacrificed for the village and therefore died while cursing at it… Perhaps… from that moment on I've been carrying never-healing emotional scars…" I think of what Yashamaru had said when I had asked him about pain. "Your mother… gave you your name… _This child's name is 'Gaara'… 'A demon that loves only himself'… love only yourself… and fight only for your sake…_ she wished and believed that your existence is forever as long as you lived so… But… She didn't give you the name out of concern or love for you…" My eyes widen, the tears still flowing but I could feel them stopping slowly "The name was given to you in hope of your eternal existence… to let her grudge be carried down… and be known to the world… You were never loved!" I felt as if I had been ripped in half.

I looked to Yashamaru as I heard a zipping sound and saw he was opening his jacket, and stared at all the explosive notes inside it. I heard the hissing of the explosive notes as Yashamaru said "This is it… Please die…"

The explosion was huge but I could only think of what Yashamaru had said about my mother a long time ago _"I believe she loved you so very much"_

"U…aah…aaahhh!" I scream into the night, angry at all the lies that I grew up with, "Woaahhh!" I made the sand burn the 'love' Kanji on my forehead, Yashamaru's words still lingering in my ears _'love only yourself, and fight only for your sake.'_ "That's _'Gaara'_… _me…_I finally understand… I'm alone. I won't trust anyone anymore… I won't love… I'm on my own… haha… that's right… I'm all alone…"

And... End. Ok peoples, the next part will be up shortly, and as usual, feel free to review and read other stories of my creative juices. Flames will be used to bake cookies and said cookies will NOT be shared with flamers. Continue on your way.


	3. Desert Beginnings

If it's a disclaimer ye be seeking, it be the profile ye must visit. Tis the way that no one gets a law suit 'round here. Enjoy the story.

**Part 3**** - cultural note: itadakimasu is said before a meal, Gochiso-sama deshita is said after a meal is finished. If you don't know what they mean, look it up! **

What happened?

I stir and sit up. Putting my hand to my head, I open my eyes to a blinding light. I look around and see that I'm in the middle of a camp in the middle of the desert. I notice that it's the break of dawn, my favourite time of day.

What am I doing in the desert?

I look over at the woman and the girl that are asleep on the other side of the camp fire.

I wonder who they are.

I cross my legs and notice a bag next to me. I also noticed that there was a note stuck to the bag by a senbon needle. I pull the needle out and stick it behind my ear, as I open the note. My eyes scan the bottom of the note,

Wow… that's a lot of signatures. I doubt this is good news.

I look back to the beginning of the note;

"_Kyo Yuki. The village elders have decided that you are too much of a danger to the village. Because of this, the elders have decided that you will train under a new sensei and will not return to the village until you have permission to return. If you try to enter the village without permission you and/or Gaara will be killed without hesitation. You have been warned."_ I stare disbelievingly at the bottom of the note.

I'm forbidden to go back without permission? This is madness! I haven't done anything wrong! Why would they do this? She might know, this 'new sensei'.

I walk over to the woman and stand over her, note still in my hand.

I watch as she stirs and opens her eyes, blinking in the newly risen sunlight. She sits up and looks at me brightly "Ah, you're awake. You've been out cold for three days now."

THREE DAYS?! What happened to me?

I push the thought out of my mind and hold out the note. She blinks at me, and then takes the note. I watch as her face grows serious and her eyes travel down the page. She sighs, "Aww man. They had to do it like this, didn't they? I thought they'd at least let me tell you."

My mouth falls open. "What? Are you telling me that this is for real?! It's not just some sick joke? I'm really not allowed to go back?" she looks at me through sad eyes.

"It's not a joke, you really aren't allowed back. This is very real, Yuki. I'm sorry." I feel the tears swell up in my eyes, not believing what I'm hearing. Suddenly my stomach growls loudly, "Well, I think you're hungry. Why don't you wake Kin up? If it's left to her, she won't be up for hours. I'll make breakfast." She turns away and searches through her bag for stuff to cook. I walk over to the sleeping girl and kneel down beside her.

I tap her gently on the shoulder, saying "Uh, w-wake up. Um… It's time to get up. Hello?"

"That's not how you wake her up!" A voice says suddenly from behind me, making me jump. "This is how you wake Kin up." I watch in disbelief as the woman I'm meant to be calling sensei, picks up Kin and shakes her, shouting "IF YOU DON'T GET UP NOW, YOU WON'T EAT FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS!!!" and then drops the girls body back onto the ground and walks back to the fire.

When she notices that I'm still sat there, frozen in horror, the sensei walks over to me again. She kneels down in front of me and waves a hand in front of my eyes "Hello? Anyone there? What's up, hmm?" I stare at her, not believing that she doesn't know why I'm shocked.

"Y-you just p-picked up th-that girl, sh-shook her, sh-shouted at her and dr-dropped her. I-I can't believe it." I stutter, quietly.

"Oh that, that's just a way of waking her up. She won't wake up otherwise." She says to me smiling. We hear a strange, metallic noise and look at the campfire. We see a pot boiling over it and I notice that the pot is boiling over. Sensei leads me over to the fire and sits me about a meter away.

"By the way, Yuki, my name is Shinada Kyori. But you can just call me Kyori-sensei." Kin stood up and stretched, shaking the sand out of her dark hair. She walked over to the fire and sits next to me. "And that is Kaito Kin. She's about your age." I nod at them both.

"So how old are you, Yuki-chan?" Kin asks. Yuki-chan already? We just met! Formally at least.

"Um, I'm six. How old are you Kaito-san?" I say, earning a shocked look.

"I am six too, but why say 'Kaito-san'? You can call me Kin-chan, you know?" I stare at her. Why is she so different? It's almost infuriating. I close my eyes.

"Okay, Kin-san. As you wish."

I open my eyes again and Kyori-Sensei pushes a bowl into my hands. "We aren't as formal as the village. You don't need to use honorifics with us. And there is also no need to use family names." I look at her.

"Okay. Thank you for the food. Itadakimasu" I take a bite of the food and my eyes widen. This is great, so delicious! "Yum! What is this?" I ask Kyori-sensei

She looks at me, smiling slightly. "It's ramen. Haven't you ever eaten it?" I shake my head. Having only eaten rice balls and sushi, this was a great change of pace.

Breakfast seems to fly by as I eat several more bowls of ramen and listen to Kin and Kyori talk about them-selves. I learn a lot about them, and I know that they are going to question me later but I concentrate on filling my empty stomach first.

"So, what's your story Yuki-chan?" Kin asks me. I look up from my third bowl of ramen and put the bowl on the sand in front of me. And mutter "Gochiso-sama deshita."

"I have a lot of unknowns about me. I never knew my parents, I never knew why the other children hated me, I never knew friendship and when I did find it, I got kicked out of the village, and I don't know why." 'Why' is an excellent question. I sigh seeing Kin's confused expression. "Would you like me to explain a little better?" They nod. I sigh again. "Well, apparently I was left near the entrance of Suna in the middle of the night with a note attached to my blankets. It had my name on it and it said that my parents were still alive. A lady took care of me in her small home, in the middle of the village. But she was killed shortly after. I was on my own after that. I spent all of my time alone, drawing mainly. But whenever I walked past anyone else in the village," sigh "the looks I would get, as if they would burn me right on the spot if allowed and yet there was such fear in their eyes too. Mothers would tell their children to ignore me. No one would come near me; I guess that I just ended up blocking everything else out. I just drew most of the time. Different things each time, some things of the past, others future. Some real, others dreams or fantasy. The only friend I ever had was because of my drawing. I only knew him for a year before the elders sent me here." And all I want to do right now is run back to my friend. I sigh again. I can't say that, I know that I'm not allowed back. I could never jeopardise his life with my own stupidity. I'll just have to find a way to be allowed back.

"Wow. That's harsh. It really sucks to be you, Yuki-chan." I study Kins' face as she talks.

I turn to Kyori-sensei, "How old are you anyway?" I know it is considered rude, but I'm sure she won't care, or at least, I hope she won't.

"I'm 17. Didn't I say that before? I thought I did." Oops, guess I should have paid attention before.

"Wow, I didn't realise you could be a Jounin at such a young age. Cool." Hmm… if I can find out how young the youngest Jounin is, I want to make it to that level of skill at an even younger age. Then become one of the ANBU black opps. This will be interesting.

"Oh no, that's nothing. There are ninja that became Jounin at age 12. Like 'Sharingan Kakashi' from Konoha. I think the youngest in Suna was… um, 13. I think so anyway. I can't really remember facts like that, they don't really interest me." She smiles at me, so I smile back. I could try for 11 or 12. We'll see what happens. I have 5 or 6 years if that's the case. Ok, there is my goal. Now to achieve it… over the next 5 or so years… It's exhausting just thinking about it! "Ok, how about we pack this stuff up?" I nod and walk over to my bag. Living in the desert was something I would never have thought of ever doing. Maybe in the village but not in the actual open desert, without any shelter from the howling winds and scorching heat. I put my sleeping bag into it's own bag with great difficulty.

"Okay. Bring your stuff over here, both of you, and we can talk for a bit more. Kin, don't put your weights on yet, you can show Yuki-chan how to later." Weights? Ok… weird. I pick up the sleeping bag and put the thin strap over my shoulder. I try to pick my bag up and fall flat on my butt. What the heck?! "Why's my bag so heavy?" I look at both of the girls and keep hold of the straps of my heavy bag. Suddenly they both start laughing.

"Sorry, I should have told you sooner. Your bag weighs about 10kgs." Kyori-sensei says between laughing. I turn away and scowl quietly. I drag my bag over to the empty campfire and sit on the sleeping bag with my arms crossed.

They finally manage to pull themselves together and Kin sits next to me and Kyori sits in front of us.

"Okay. Let's do this properly, like we would if we were in the village. I want you to tell me your likes, dislikes and dream for the future. I'll go first. I like lots of things and dislike very little. My dream for the future, I guess, would be becoming a great sensei. Yuki, you next." All eyes on me. Great.

"Uh, I like drawing and training. I dislike lots of stuff. My dream for the future would be to become one of Suna's youngest ANBU black opps." I look at Kin.

"I like lots of stuff that people don't like. I dislike next to nothing and my dream for the future…? I guess I never really thought about it." I roll my eyes, could she be any vaguer? I guess I was pretty vague too. Oh well.

"Okay. Next I want to know how you want to train first Yuki. After the basics, would you like to learn ninjutsu, genjutsu or taijutsu? Would you like to be a specialist in any certain area, or just learn all three and create your own style of fighting?" hmm… defiantly my own, but I'd also like to learn taijutsu. It's good to be fast!

"Uh, after the basics, could I learn how to control my power and learn taijutsu and water and earth related Nin and genjutsu?" Now, can I guess the answer to this… is it 'that is far too difficult, I shall just train you in the same way as Kin.' Or is it 'what is your power?'

"Wow, seems like you have a good idea of what you want your own style to be like. Sure, we can do that. We'll start you off on weights while we travel and that should help your speed. Then when we get to the next town, we can get you, uh, 'suitable attire' to help with your unique style of fighting. We can get Kin's then too." Yes!

"Huh? Did you say something?" We both turn to Kin who clearly only tuned in after her name was mentioned. Well, it's not like I can criticize.

"Don't worry about it. Why don't you show Yuki-Chan how to put on her weights? I suggest starting on 2kgs, and then she can keep up with us. Also, add another kilo to yours, you're starting to get pretty fast with them." I watch as Kin pulls out weights from her bag and I copy her. She then shows me how to put them on, and add more weight when I need to.

"How much are yours right now?"

"Um… I think it's about 8kgs right now. Don't worry, you'll soon catch up." Reassuring… almost, but not quite. I stand and strain to lift my bag onto my back. Sensei must have seen the difficulty I was having and came to lift it onto my back then lower it down gently.

"Thanks, it's so heavy!" I say almost falling over due to the heaviness of the pack. She smiled and picked up her own. I knew that if I fell over I wouldn't be able to get back up.

"Okay, you ready Kin? It's gonna take us a while to reach the next town, especially with you two increasing the weights often. Oh, by the way, I've decided that you are going to add a kilo every four days, that should be quicker training, but if it gets too heavy I'm going to have to stop adding the weights until you can walk properly with the weights on, and then increase it again. At that rate we should arrive at the next town in three weeks. I will see if we can get any missions, while we rest up for a day or two, and then train in any grounds they might have. We won't be leaving the Wind Country until I'm happy with your progress and am satisfied that you would cope if I died or went missing. Any questions?"

I look at Kin, and see no indication that she wants to ask a question, so I ask one, "Can we go now?" I smile at Kyori-senseis' smile.

"Let's go guys." She says gently, turning and leading the way through the vastness of the desert.

______________________________________________________________

So this is dedicated to CullenGirl14, 'cause she wanted me to get my butt in gear and upload this chapter. Thank you. I'm hoping you like this chapter and that the next one will finish soon. And that my experimenting with styles isn't getting on anybody's nerves.


	4. Team Sabaku

I'm sorry. I am so very sorry. I planned to have this finished a long time ago. I know, I suck. Anyway, as an apology, I made this chapter pretty long and you meet a 'shiny' new face. Uh… yeah, anyway… enjoy, and please review.

NOTE: There is a little bad language in this chapter and probably will continue through others. There is also violence (duh… it's a Naruto fanfic) which could be uncomfortable for the soft-at-heart people to read. I'm going to say PG-13. At least. Enjoy.

**Chapter 4**** - Team Sabaku**

"So, today we should arrive at a small town that has to be a favourite of mine. It's very traditional. I think we should get there by noon. Okay?" Kyori sensei smiles at us.

"Okay, whatev-" I'm cut off by Kins' shouts.

"You said that yesterday! Are you sure?"

I roll my eyes as Kyori sensei instantly fires up.

"And whose fault is it that we didn't get there yesterday? Who nearly passed out from dehydration, when I told you to drink plenty of water?" I smirk as I can tell where this is going.

"So maybe I did get dehydrated, but I wasn't the only one not drinking water! Yuki wasn't either!" Kin shouts at our sensei.

"Yuki doesn't need to drink! She can absorb the water from the air and from the ground! That's why she has total control over water!" I start packing out stuff. The argument will last a while and I want to get to this town as fast as possible.

Just as the argument escalates, I decided to interject. "Okay you guys! That's enough!" I shout, stepping in between them with each my palms outstretched towards them. "You two are acting like children, not shinobi. Pull yourselves together, pick up your stuff and then let's leave for the town!" They stare at me. It's so annoying that they get so argumentative.

"Yuki's right. Come on, let's go." Sensei sighs as she picks up her bags. Kin follows suit and we begin walking.

We walk for an hour in silence, when Kin decides to break it. "You seem very… rushed to get to this town. Why is that Yuki-Chan?" I look at her, smiling.

"It's because we've been wandering around in the desert for the past three weeks. I haven't seen any buildings in so long. The idea of a bath and proper bed is just so tempting!" I have sand in my hair, rips in my Yukata and small bruises where the weights keep banging against me feet. Yeah, I have shoes, but I like the feeling of sand between my toes. Also, it hurts to get sand stuck in your shoes when you know you don't want to stop walking it's also annoying.

The silence resumes as we walk for three more hours, with Kyori sensei occasionally telling Kin to drink more. Finally a small dot appears on the horizon that wasn't there before. Noticing this I speed up a bit, like a man near death walks towards an oasis. I walk faster and faster, slowly breaking into a jog.

"Yuki, stop!" I freeze at the sound of senseis' voice, "There is no need to exhaust yourself before we even get there." I bow my head slightly and wait for my team to catch up, and then walk directly behind Kyori sensei, staring at her feet but not paying attention, just remembering when my life was at its best.

An hour later, I find myself walking into kyori-senseis' back when she stops suddenly, and I fall to the floor. I peer around her legs and see that we have arrived at the edge of a village.

"We're thirty minutes earlier than I expected. That's probably thanks to you, Yuki. If you hadn't been in such a hurry to get here, no doubt Kin and I would still be arguing in camp." She smiles at me and pulls me to my feet. I nod and smile back. This place looks pretty small compared to Sunakagure, but it's good to see some buildings for a change.

"Come on girls, there is a place that I know of that is an awesome place to stay." Sensei says, as she leads the way towards the commercial area of the town. I notice how I seem to be getting stared at a lot, and some are pretty weird looks, but just like at home, I hold my head high and just watch where I am going, or in this case, the back of my sensei.

"Here we are girls! Our home for the next week." I notice that we're standing outside of an inn. I think they're called Ryokan. Sensei slides the door open and steps inside. She takes off her shoes whilst standing on the mat and, carrying the shoes, steps onto the raised wooden floor.

I follow sensei onto the tatami mats while Kin removes her shoes. "Take a seat while I get our rooms." Kyori says, pointing to some seats against the wall. Taking a seat, I look around the small entrance hall, taking note of the window next to the door, the paintings on the walls, the nice looking old lady behind the counter, the door behind the counter and the only other door leading to what I can only assume is the rooms.

"Hey, Yuki. Are you going to keep training as much now that we aren't in the desert? Or are you going to relax a bit?" Kin asks, looking at me curiously.

"I'm going to continue working hard. If I have to reach a certain level before returning to Suna, I am going to reach that level as quickly as I can." I shift my gaze from the window to Kin, "What about you Kin? Are you going to train more? Or argue as much with Kyori-sensei?"

"No, I am not going to argue with her." Kin pouts, "actually, I'm going to train more and argue less, okay?" I giggle at her and she pouts some more.

"Alright girls, come on. I got three rooms, Yuki is in fourteen, Kin, you're in sixteen and I'll be in fifteen. Go get cleaned up, leave most of your stuff in your rooms, but bring money for food, your weapons and add another 5kgs to your ankle weights. Don't forget your shoes, and don't put them on until you get to the door. I'm going to go and have a bath, then relax in the onsen for a while. I will meet you here in the entrance hall in two hours. I told the owner that we do not require her to bring us any meals, so don't try to order anything." Kyori hands us the keys to our rooms, before leading the way down the hall.

"They have an onsen? Wow, can I come in too?" Kin asks Kyori, whose eye starts twitching almost immediately.

"No! I need some alone time in which I can relax. Go to your room and relax for a little while." Kyori hisses.

Before Kin has the chance to retort, I rip open the door to my room and dive in before sliding it shut and locking it. I sigh to myself, drop my bag next to the small chair in the corner of the room, and walk over to the window. I see that the room looks out to what must be a market.

After a few minutes of people watching, I walk to the chair and drop onto the floor next to my bag. Tugging my bag a little closer, I pull out some tape bandages and the extra weights. Scooping up the tape and weights, I walk into the en-suit and put them down on the floor next to the bath. I turn on the taps and, while the bath fills, I look at my ragged reflection in the mirror above the sink.

"I don't think I've ever been this sand covered. Or sore." I say to my reflection. Crouching down, I gently remove the weights from my ankles, and then my wrists, before inspecting the bruises on my wrists, ankles, hands and feet.

I notice that the bath is getting close to overflowing, so I turn off the taps and fill up the sink with water too. Once the sink is full, I remove my clothing, shake as much sand from it as possible and put them in the sink to soak, before climbing into the bath. I clean myself, and then relax for a little while.

After I finish in the bath, I use my powers to dry myself and my hair. With a towel wrapped around my now dry body, I pull my clothes out of the sink and watch as the dirty water runs off of it. Tutting, I use my ability to separate the dirty water and clean water, and then do the same with the bath water, filling the bath with the dirty water and the sink with the cleaner. I attempt to clean my clothes in the cleaner water, and manage to get most of the dirt off, but there is only so much I can do.

Giving up on cleaning, I dry my clothes, pull them on and sit on the floor. I start wrapping one of the tape bandages around my foot and ankle, which should hopefully provide support and lessen the bruising. Once I finish with the right one, I do the same with my left, and then wrap them around my wrists and palms, leaving them loose enough to allow freedom of movement and tight enough to provide support. I add the extra weights on to my current ones and put them on my wrists and ankles.

Once finished in the bathroom, I glance at the clock on the small table and see that I've still got another hour and a half. I grab my bag and pull out 2,000 Ryou from my money pouch and put it in my weapons pouch. I pull out a bit of fabric and use it to disguise my pouch.

I hide my bag in the wardrobe, before picking up the pouch that now looks like a small handbag, pick up my shoes and the key and walk out to the hall.

"Yuki, where are you going?" A voice calls out, making me jump, as I lock the door.

"Sensei, I was wondering if I can go out for a little while?" I ask, reading her facial expressions the best I can.

"I told you to not call me sensei while in the village." She simply states after a moment of silence.

"Sorry sen-, I mean, Kyori-nee-chan." I say, catching and correcting myself.

"That's okay Yuki. I guess you can go out. Just remember what I said, okay? And be back at the entrance hall in ninety minutes." I nod my head and walk off down the hall and out of the building before she talks my ear off. When I reach the step, I sit down and pull my shoes on, before standing on the lower part and walking out of the building and almost running head first into the chest of a random man that was approaching the inn.

"I'm sorry, I should have watched where I was going." I say, bowing my head to the man.

"Whatever, move outta my way." He grunts and pushes past me.

I stand to the side of the door with my mouth hanging open and the mans rudeness. Shaking my head, I walk away from the building and towards the centre of town, where I think the markets are. As I walk, I think about the rules Kyori-sensei told us about before we arrived at the town. 'Do not let anyone know that we are ninja. Do not wear your ninja headband. Do not call me sensei. Be careful, cautious and considerate. Keep a low profile and don't do anything stupid.' I can't help but think that she didn't need to say the 'don't do anything stupid' part, but stuff happens. Sometimes you do something without thinking and later on look back and think 'aw man, that was really stupid'.

I look up from the floor and notice stalls lining the streets and people bustling by. I continue forward, looking around as I walk, until something catches my eye and I force my way through the crowd to reach the stall. I squeeze past two ladies and stumble to the stall.

"Hello little lady, do you like anything you see?" The man behind the stall asks as I peer at the goods for sale.

"How much is that?" I ask, pointing at a small brown gourd with blue pattern spreading over it in a liquid fashion.

The man chuckles, "That, my dear, is 1,000 Ryou. Would you like to look at one of the cheaper ones? I have this lovely one for 200 Ryou." He says, indicating to a lilac gourd, slightly smaller than the one I'm interested in.

"Thank you, but no. I would like to buy the blue one." I say, pulling the money out of my weapons pouch and handing to the man. I pick up the gourd and study it carefully. I smile and look up at the shocked face of the stall owner. "What?"

Suddenly, the man starts laughing. "Haha, you're going to go far, kid. You know what you want and you get it." He leans over the stall and ruffles up my hair, chuckling still. I force a smile and turn away, and then walk into the crowd.

I let myself get dragged along in the mass of people. Not really caring where I end up, I know I will find my way back. Eventually, the crowd starts to thin and I look around carefully at where I am. Noticing that there are no more stalls in this area of the village, I guess that this is a more residential area of the village.

Glancing at the crowd behind me, I walk over to the shade by the buildings. Through the small crowd I see two boys playing, one clearly older than the other and I smile.

Continuing along the street, I come across a fork in the path. I know I need to return to the inn, I take the right path, staying in the shade. This street has noticeably less people, to my preference, thankfully.

As the streets twist and turn, I get bored of guessing and, glancing around, walk into the nearest alley. I look up to the roof to the left, and centre myself.

Abruptly someone holds a knife to mu throat and a gruff voice says "That's a pretty gourd. A little expensive for a street urchin like you though. Why don't you be a good little girl and hand it over?"

"Street urchin? What's that?" I ask, intrigued by the name he called me, not even thinking about the threat on my life.

"You're one, you homeless brat, now hand it over!" He growls angrily, pressing the knife against my neck painfully. I feel the skin break a little. "No one would miss you if I were to kill you right now, so don't play games!"

"That's not true," I whisper, "I know that is not true!" I shout.

I control the water in the air to wrap around his arm and pull it away from my neck. I step away from him before I increase the pressure of the water currently wrapped around his right arm. The air is suddenly filled with the snapping of bones and the screams of the man. I then gather more water and it takes the shape of a fist, which flies towards the mans' head, knocking him out on contact.

I stand there panting over the strangers unconscious body and realisation hits me. "Kyori-sensei is going to kill me." I sigh and make a cloud of water to carry the guy, and then jump onto the roof. I glance around before heading towards the inn, jumping roof to roof.

When I finally reach a rooftop near the inn, I glance guiltily at the man I have dragged all this way. I walk to one side of the roof where one of the many alley ways are.

Making sure no one is there I jump down, bringing the man with me. I walk to the end of the alley and am happy to see that there are so few people around. I run across the street to the inn, dragging the body with me.

I drag the man into the entrance hall, and glance around while kicking off my sandals. Noting that there is no one in the hall, I pick the man up with water and, glancing around, run through the door to the hall, before racing to Kyori's room and banging on the door while trying not to attract attention, which is very difficult.

Sensei rips open the door and hisses at me. "Yuki, what is so important?"

I push her through the door and hurry in. She gapes at me when she sees the body. "I can explain." I say before she can say a word. I turn and close the door, then walk to one of the cushions on the floor.

"There better be a damn good explanation Yuki. Did you not listen to a word I said?" Kyori starts, placing her hands on her hips.

"Of course I listened to you, sensei; this was a life or death situation." Her face has a look of disbelief on it, "Honestly. I went to the markets, bought a gourd, wandered round, and started to come back, decided to travel by the roofs so I went into an alley, where he held a knife to my neck and threatened me. I broke his arm and punched him. He isn't dead. At least I don't think he is." I trail off.

Kyori sighs, "It's hard to have a simple life if you're a ninja. Okay, so I won't be too angry, but you're still in trouble. Before your punishment, we have to figure out what to do with him. And no Yuki, he isn't dead." Kyori sensei says as she stands up.

I sigh in relief. The last thing I wanted to do is to kill him. "So, what do you think we should do?"

"Well, we can find out who he is, and when he wakes up, apologize to him." Sensei says.

"What? Really?" I ask, confused.

"No, you idiot. He tried to kill you, which means that he didn't know who you are, or that you are a ninja. If we let him go now, he might tell people, which could get us in trouble. We will wait for him to wake, but first I think we should tie him to a chair. This will teach you how to interrogate people. Go and get Kin, I want her to learn this too. And tell her about what happened." Kyori instructs me. When she sees that I haven't moved she turns to me and shouts "Go, now!"

I turn and walk out of the room and, once in the hall, I close my eyes and focuses on trying to find the familiar energy that I know as Kin, just as Kyori taught me.

It takes a little while, but I soon locates it surrounded by water, which I can only assume is the onsen. Following the energy, I discover that I was right as I find myself standing outside a large wooden door with a plaque that has 'onsen' written on it.

I gently push the door and it swings open, granting my entrance. I walk in and find that I'm in a large changing room. By passing this room, I walk past the shower area and finally arrive in the bath part. I notice that there are only three people in the bath. Picking up a clean fluffy towel I skirt around the edge of the large pool of water, until I find the green-black hair of the girl I'm looking for. Crouching down by the side of the water, I wait for her to resurface. As her head breaks the surface, she comes up coughing and spluttering.

"Are you okay? Kyori sent me to get you." I say, patting her back gently.

"Yeah, I forgot I was underwater and sneezed. It's a very bad idea." She says between coughs.

"Come on, climb out. I have a towel for you right here." I straighten up and hold the towel out unfolded for her to just step into. As she steps into it, I wrap the towel around her.

I walk into the changing room with Kin and wait while she gets changed. Then leads the way into the hall and quietly tells her about what happened.

"Whoa, so you don't even know who it is? And he didn't know that we're shino-?" Her voice is cut off as I slap my hand over her mouth.

"Kin, don't you remember what Kyori said? Do **not** say _anything_ about that." I hiss. Kin bows her head, and I leads the way into Kyoris room.

"Yuki, Kin, What took so long?" Sensei asks. Looking past her I notices the man tied up on the floor with his back against the wall and his chin resting on his shoulder.

"Kin was in the onsen." I reply, staring at the man.

"You knocked him out? Wow, you're getting stronger Yuki!" Kin says gleefully.

"Quiet Kin, we don't want to attract any attention. It's good that I'm getting stronger but this was out of hand." I say, groaning.

"Yes, well. We can sort out that problem later. Being a ninja isn't very predictable, don't expect everything to follow the way you plan it. Trust me." Kyori says.

Suddenly there is a loud noise, like a door slamming, from the hall. "What on earth?" Kyori mutters, before leading the way out of the room.

Kin and I follow, after a quick glance at the man. And I closes the door gently, then follow Kin to the reception area.

"- and that's when he gave me these leaflets to put up and hand out. Please put one up! People need to know!" The boy tells the lady behind the counter.

"This is bad I'll –" She began.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Kyori asks, panic in her voice. I notice the quick worried glance in my direction and lower my head.

"You need to keep both eyes on your children! At all times! The notorious Hamano Kazuma is back in the town! He's a very dangerous man! Take extra care!" He said, clearly rather distressed. Kyori pulls both of us close in a motherly fashion.

"Well, give the woman a leaflet! You need to do what you're told and be quicker about it, Ayumu!" The old woman scolds him.

Ayumu blinked, shook his head and gave Kyori a leaflet. It had Wanted written across the top and a photo and other details about Hamano Kazuma.

The eyes of all three Shinobi are drawn to the photograph and my jaw drops open. _'Crap!'_

"Nee-chan! Look!" Kin gasped.

"What? What is it? Have you seen him? Do you know where he is?" Ayumu asks franticly.

"No but that's a lot of Ryuu for a 6 year old." I say looking pointedly at Kin.

"Oh, okay. Well, any information that you have is very valuable." He mutters, before handing the woman behind the counter a leaflet and walking out of the inn.

"Come on girls, back to the room." Kyori says, nudging us gently.

I lead the way into the room, my mind working overtime trying to process what we had just learnt. I knocked out a criminal… without meaning to. By doing the worst thing possible, by losing control. This can't be a good thing. I look at the man. And stops dead in my tracks.

He's gone.

I look up. The windows open.

"Kyori!" I shout.

"I see it Yuki." She says, panic reflecting my own is present in her voice.

"What?" Kin asks.

"What's missing Kin?" Kyori says. Kin gasps and I turn to Kyori.

"Did you only tie his hands up?" I ask desperately. She nods. "Oh no, what do we do? Should we go after him?"

"Where would we look?" Kin shouts at me "We hardly know this place!"

"This looks like good tracker training. Well, what do you think we do first?" She looks calmly from me to Kin and back.

"Split up?" Kin asks

"No, you aren't at a level where you can take him down by yourself. Yuki only just made it out. A proper ninja wouldn't have a knife held at their neck by anyone other than another ninja. What else?"

"Search from the roof tops? You can see further and hide easier." I suggests.

"Well done. Come on, to the roof." Kyori says, leading the way through the window.

We follow her out and jump onto the roof. "Now Kin and I can work together to get him, right?" I ask.

"Yeah, we can use both of our skills to beat him." Kin says brightly.

"Yes. But don't get too confident. He is taller and older, he could use that against you." Kyori warn. "Now, start tracking. I will come with you, but I won't help at all."

"Ossu!" Kin and I say in unison, before looking around the building.

"Kyori, can we use the radios?" I ask.

"Good thinking Yuki, here." Kyori says, handing us a radio each.

About five minutes later I land on a roof as silently as a cat, Kyori Sensei, or her clone, right behind me. I glances around and notice that Kin is on the other side of the inn, heading towards the market. I glance down at the small gourd now hanging at my right hip and can't help but glare. It's all because of this stupid gourd.

I walk around the edge of the roof, looking into the alleys, just when I feel ready to leave this roof, the man, Hamano Kazuma, runs into the alley and throws himself to the floor behind a dumpster. I jump backwards, away from the edge of the roof.

"Kin, I've found him. Come quickly and silently." I hiss into the radio. Hoping that both Kin and Kyori will come silently, I stay low and hidden, while spying on our target.

I look up as Kin lands silently on the roof, Kyori right behind her. We nod to each other and walk to opposite ends of the roof, watching Kazuma the whole time. Kyori watches us carefully. Raising her hand, Kin holds up three fingers.

I ready myself.

Two…

Deep breaths…

One…

Jump!

Flying through the air, I brace myself for the impact, keeping my face vacant of any expression.

We both land on our feet with a small thud, quite enough to go unnoticed by passers by, that much I'm sure of. Resisting the urge to check over my shoulder, I start to walk towards the man on the floor, Kin mimicking my movements.

Suddenly Kazuma struggled to his feet and pulls the knife out of his pocket, the same one that was at my throat only an hour ago.

He eyes me wearily, before tightening his grip on the weapon. I pull out my own kunai, dropping into a defensive stance. I let my glance slide from Kazuma to Kin and am shocked to discover that she hasn't drawn a weapon.

I look back at Kazuma and pull out another Kunai. Holding it by the point, I wait for Kin to nod, then flick my wrist, which sends the knife flying into the soft sand at Kins feet with a soft thud.

"What the hell? What kind of fucking parent lets kids run around with knives?" Kazuma ask.

"Surely you realise, these girls are more than just children. They are trained in combat. They are just as strong as you." Kyori says gently, landing with the cat-like grace that Kin and I lack. The man jumps backwards, staring at Kyori.

"Knock him out Kin." Kyori states simply, staring Kazuma in the eyes. She then starts pulling a rope out of her bag, as Kin smacks Kazuma on the back of the head with the rounded handle of the Kunai. Kazuma slumped to the floor instantly.

Kyori ties him up securely, then looks at Kin.

"Oh no, not a chance." Kin says, holding her hands up in front of her, backing up a little. When Kyori advances on her, Kin shouts "I'm not carrying him, you twisted bitch!"

I jump and glance at the entrance to the alley "Shut up!" I hiss "Both of you make sure the way is clear. And keep it clear. I'll carry him."

"Keep it clear? Why?" Kin asks me a confused look clouding her expression. I roll my eyes.

"Fine then. Kyori, can you place a strong enough genjutsu over both me and this guy? Pretend it's anything." I snap.

"Then when we get to the inn, put a genjustu on the old woman, making her think he jumped in through the window and tried to attack us and fell or something." Kin added, staring at the entrance to the alley over my shoulder.

I pull the man onto my back and wait for Kyori to put the justu on me. When she signals that she's done, I follow Kin and Kyori as we walk through the maze of alleyways.

We manage to navigate the alleys until we are across the street from the inn. Walking carefully across the street, trying to make no noise, I don't notice the little girl that runs into Kin until she's lying on the floor.

She looks up at Kin with a stubborn expression on her face, and then looks directly at me. Her eyes widen in horror and her mouth falls open.

"Kyori –?" I hear Kin, but I cannot tear my eyes away from the girl on the floor.

"I know Kin. She shouldn't be able to see Yuki or the man." Kyori answers the unasked question.

"How -?" Kin starts again.

"I don't know." Kyori cuts Kin off, before crouching down until she's eye to eye with the girl. "Hi there. My name's Kyori-chan, what's yours?" The girl remains silent, flicking a quick glance at Kyori, then returning her gaze to me. "Can you tell me what you see?" Kyori continues.

"Him." She manages to gasp out.

"Do you know him?" Kyori asks, her voice pitched a little higher than normal.

"He killed my father." The girl manages to choke out through the tears clouding her eyes and voice.

"He isn't light Kyori." I murmur.

"Can you come and talk with me in that inn over there?" The girls horror-filled eyes meet Kyoris'. "You wouldn't need to be in the same room. And even if you were, I promise you'll be safe."

"O-ok." She stammers, taking Kyoris hand.

I follow them into the inn, watching as Kyori does her thing on the woman behind the counter. We walk down the hall and into Kyoris' room.

I dump the guy in a corner, before wrapping more rope around him and trapping the rope to the ground using several kunai.

"All clear. He won't get out."

"Why don't you just use your water?"

I look at Kin, "And if he wakes up and I lose control? I'm not chancing that. It will defend us by itself, but I can't make sure it's doing as I say."

"So, he's in this room, but he won't hurt you, I promise. Yuki will keep you safe." Kyori lead the girl into the opposite corner of the room. "Now I told you that my name is Kyori, but this is Kin and that is Yuki. What's your name?" Kyori indicates Kin and myself as she says our name, and she's still speaking in that soft, slightly higher than usual voice.

"I'm Kimura Megumi." She mumbles.

"Kimura? What a strange first name." Kin says placing herself between the small girl on the floor and the man tied in the corner.

"Kin, you baka. Megumi is her first name." I shake my head gently, my hair brushing against the wall that I'm sitting against. I can see everyone in the room from here and that's how I like it.

There's a small giggle, which makes both Kin and I turn our heads to the corner. "You guys are funny."

"I assure you, they don't mean to be." Kyori catches our eyes. "So, I'm going to have Kin get Baa-chan to alert the authorities to the presence of our friend here shortly. Do you mind if you're in the same room or do you want to go into one of the others?"

"I don't want to be in the same room as him. But I don't want to be alone."

"That's okay. You can be in here with Kin and I or in the other room with Yuki, as I will need to supervise this guy. It's your choice.'

"The other room please." Megumi decides.

I stand up and look over to Kyori sensei. "Check which room is easier to guard her from Kazuma, and also to escape in a hurry if you need to."

"What do you mean 'If you need to'?" Megumi asks, looking panicked.

"Don't worry." I say, pulling her to her feet and leading the way out of the room, "It's just a ninja thing. We have to be ready for anything." I peer into Kins room and see things thrown over the room and back out immediately. "Wow she's messy." I open my door and shoo Megumi inside. I knock on Kyori senseis door and follow Megumi inside.

"Please sit in the middle of the room with your back against the wall. If the window is our escape route, I promise I will help you to go first without getting hurt."

"How can you help me to go first _without_ hurting myself?" Megumi asks, confused.

"I have my ways. Don't worry though, we will be fine. Remember, Kyori sensei said 'if you need to' and we probably won't need to."

We fall silent and listen to Kins voice getting louder and two sets of foot steps walk up the hall to us. We heard the door open and a woman scream, at which Megumi flinches and I tense, ready to defend and get her out of here.

Kyoris raised voice permeates the wall, but the words are unclear. I rise to my feet and walk gently towards the door, keeping myself in between Megumi and the door.

The door is flung open and I drop into a defensive stance.

"She expects me to believe that a child like you caught that man? Utter rubbish." I don't recognise the man, but I recognised the obnoxious tone.

Kyori stands behind the man in the door way. "Don't talk about Yuki like that. You don't even know who she is, or what she can do. You're the one sprouting rubbish." I hear Kin, and give a sad smile. I know she shouldn't have said that, but it made me happy at the same time.

"How dare you say such a thing, you insolent child." He raises his hand at her, as if to back hand her.

"You will do well to not threaten a ninja. They may be children, but they are trained in the art of combat and could kill you quite easily. Fortunately neither has killed as no one has been stupid enough to test them. The last person that did push us is in the room next door, unconscious on the floor. Feel free to threaten Kin some more if you want to end up like Kazuma. Kin and Yuki are like sisters and fight as if they could speak to each other without words. You are an insolent fool that lets looks deceive you and that will be your demise. Now if you will please pay Yuki her money and have some people come around and collect Kazuma, you can leave." We all stare at Kyori. That was the most praise that she has ever given us, and it was shocking.

The man turns to glance at me before leaving and I snap my mouth closed.

"Your money will be delivered shortly." He spat at me. I bow politely.

"What are you going to do with all that money Yuki?" Kin asks eagerly.

"Nothing."

"What?" Kin, Kyori and Megumi look at me in shock. "That's 100,000 Ryo!"

"I know how much it is. I don't want it. I don't deserve it."

"You don't want the money?" The man at the door looks flabbergast at the concept.

"Well, yes and no. I don't want to keep the money, but I want it spent on the townspeople. There are people walking around in patched up clothing while you're wearing a very expensive looking outfit. I want this money given to the people that need it most. If we hear that it wasn't given to them -"

"Yes, alright. We will find the poorest people in town and split the money evenly. Thank you for your generosity."

"What about you, Megumi?" She looks at Kin.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, where do you and your mother live in town? Is it near here? We can walk you home if you'd like."

"My mother died when I was born. I live alone." She trails off into an uncomfortable silence.

"Have you ever wanted to leave here?" I ask her quietly.

"Where would I go?" Megumi asks sadly.

"You could come with us. We can always use more ninja." Kyori says gently.

"Really?"

"I don't see why not. There are no parents to stop us. It's one less child for the town to focus on. She'll be protected by us and trained to the highest level. It's all up to you Megumi." It's easy to see why she would find this a hard decision. She's lived in this town, quite possibly all her life, but she doesn't have anyone here anymore.

"I guess so."

"Don't jump into this. It's not something to be take lightly. Being a ninja is dangerous, you must think hard about this. Get some rest. We will stay here one more night. Tomorrow morning, at first light, we will leave to go and train in the desert and possible go on some D rank missions. Kin will walk you to where you live tonight and we will come to your house in the morning."

"I don't want to go back."

"You must at least collect your things. You can stay with us tonight if you want, but we will go to your house and get what you need first, then make sure the place is properly locked before we leave." Kyori insists. "Yuki, you and Kin take her home, I'll sort out any paperwork."

We walk out of the inn and let Megumi lead us to her house.

"So, do you have many friends here?" Kin asks as we walk though the milling crowds.

"Not really. Since mum died, my dad was very protective of me. He taught me everything. I miss him a lot."

"It must have been nice." All eyes turn to me.

"What must have?" Kin asks. Always full of questions.

"To have a dad. You guys must have had some fun."

"Yeah, we did." Megumi replies quietly. "What happened to your parents?"

"Well, I was abandoned. Kin's parents died in the Great Ninja War."

"They were ninja too?"

"No, they were killed by ninja. They were looking after some poisoned ninja from the hidden mist and other ninja from the mist thought that my parents were trying to get information. I was getting herbs from the greenhouse when my home exploded. The Kazekage had Kyori and her family look after me ever since."

We walk in silence with Megumi staring at Kin.

"I think you broke her Kin." I mutter, looking at Megumi.

"How can you sound so alright with that?" We can hear the disbelief in her voice.

"I've come to terms with it. I try not to make assumptions like those Mist ninja did. But I see the bright side of things. If not for those ninja, I wouldn't have met Kyori. If not for Kyori, I wouldn't have met Yuki. If not for Yuki, I wouldn't have met you. It's all has a good side."

"You mean a silver lining." I correct her.

"Yeah, that's the one."

"We're here." Megumi stops in front of a small apartment near the edge of town. The paint's peeling off the wooden door. Megumi opens the door and we follow her in.

"It's not much, but I always thought of it as home."

"I still have a home in Suna. It will always be my home."

"Do you have a back pack? You should pack a bag with money, clothes and any other necessities. We can buy you weapons and clothes before we leave."

"Kin, you're jumping to conclusions. She may be staying here."

"No I'm not. I'm making sure she has everything. She should know what to expect if she wants to come. She should have all the facts."

"Alright. Fact – being a ninja is hard. Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to but it is all worth it in the end. Fact – training is hard. No one likes being covered in bruises because you're fighting with a friend, but when it comes to an enemy you need to be ready. Fact – the weights we wear are so heavy, they nearly cut off your circulation. But in the long run, they increase your speed and your strength. Fact – as a ninja, you need to be able to take the good with the bad. If you can't do that, you won't make it. You need to decide as no one else can make that choice for you."

With that said, I drop down onto the sofa and relax, eyes closed but listening intently.

"I know it won't be easy. But with you two, and Kyori, I'm sure I will have all the help that I need."

Both Kin and I look at her.

"Are you sure? You have to be 100% on this. You can come back from the desert, but you can never undo what you see, what you do or what you learn. You have got to be certain." Kin says quietly "We don't want you to make the wrong choice."

"I know this is the right thing. Dad would want me to be able to protect myself when he isn't here."

"Alright, pack what you need, keep your bed clear and tidy this place up a bit. We'll go back to the inn once we're done here." Kin and I sit on the sofa while Megumi looks for the things that she needs.

Once she finds everything, we help her tidy up. "Yuki, why did you say make sure there's nothing on the bed?"

"Because sometimes you just want to collapse on to your own bed and you can't do that when there are things in the way."

We finish tidying up, making sure that nothing can get in through the windows and finally leave the house and lock the door.

We walk through the door to the inn and Kyori is at the main desk. I direct the others silently to the chairs that Kin and I occupied when we first arrived here.

"How much more?" Kyori asks in a strained voice.

"That is the last form. You just have to get the child to sign it too."

"Which one of us, Kyori?" Kin speaks up and Kyori turns around and the man standing next to her jumps out of surprise.

"Megumi, if you want to come with us, I need you to sign this form. This will mean that even though you aren't in your house, it's still yours. You are still a resident of this town and you are free to come back here whenever you want, no one in the village can stop you."

"Yes, I'm coming with you. Where do you want me to sign?"

"I'm glad she's coming with us. It's like we're a proper squad team now. Three students and a Sensei."

"You're way too over-excited about this. It's good we have a new sparring partner though, we have to toughen her up first."

"You won't be too rough now. Don't you remember what it was like when you first joined us in the desert? It's a good job you can do what you do or else you would also have passed out of dehydration." Kyori startles us both.

"What do you mean? She looks like a normal child to me." The man asks.

"I can drink water really quickly. And I have a bladder of steel. I was built for the desert." I chime in quickly. "It was nice meeting you, but we have to go now. We still have some shopping to do and the shops will be closing within the next couple of hours."

"Let's get going girls, we have to buy lots of things before the shop closes." Kyori shoos us all out through the door.

We hurry through the streets and go into the clothes store. After an hour of searching through the many different styles and colours of the clothes we each had some outfits to wear.

"Right, we all have clothes to last for the next 6 months or so. We should head back to the inn to rest for the night. I'll buy some food in the morning." Kyori leads the way back to the inn with the three of us in tow.

"So we leave Bouken tomorrow. Are you going to be alright?" Kin asks Megumi. We all glance at her.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I will miss here, but when I come back, I'll be a powerful ninja that's travelled through the dangerous deserts of the Wind Country! And I'll return with my three friends."

"She's almost as excitable as you Kin." I smile slyly.

"Come on guys, we have an early one tomorrow. Go to bed now. Do one of you girls mind sharing with Megumi?"

"I will!" Kin shouts almost before Kyori even finished.

"That's fine, but don't stay up all night. I want you in bed and asleep within the hour."

I walk into my room and hear the conversation continue down the hall. I check the windows locked and close the blinds over it, then make sure the door is locked.

I change and climb into bed on the futon. The last thing I hear is Kyori shouting at Kin to go to sleep through the walls.

Okay, before any of you say "How could someone forget they were underwater and sneezed?" don't bother. This actually happened. When I was younger my friend and I were playing in the swimming pool at the Recreation centre and she sneezed while underwater. It was funny for me... not so much for her.

I hope this was long enough for you.

Like I said at the start, I'm sorry this took so long. But in my defence, it's really, really long, you meet a new character and I think there's plenty of character development. I hope you enjoyed this and that I don't take so long with chapter 5. Let me know what you thought.


	5. Mission

**Chapter 5 **

"Duck!" The shout comes too late and Megumi takes the full force of the hit. She lands on the floor with a loud thud. Using water as a shield I run over to her.

"Are you alright?" I can't see any cuts, she just looks a little winded.

"Fine. Peachy." She gasps between wheezes.

"Get up, I'll deal with them." I pull her to her feet, eyeing the men in black.

"They're too strong."

"No, they aren't. You find Kin, I'll deal with these guys. Remember your training before you get into another fight." I push her gently down the hall and turn back to the men.

"She's getting away!" A cry from one of the men as one man tries to run past me.

"Oh no you don't!" I dive for him and tackle him into the wall. More foot steps behind me, I roll over the floor and kick out, knocking them to the floor. I climb to my feet and pin the men on the floor with kunai. 'No major injuries. No casualties.' Kyoris words flow through my head.

I break the nose of the man running towards me with the heel of my palm. He drops to the floor. I take a step back , keeping the men on the floor and the men on their feet in my sight. This is my test. I drop into a defensive stance as one of the men walk forwards, watching me warily. "She's not even sweating!" The voice comes from the man closest.

"Forget this one, we need to get the brat that ran away. She got the scroll!"

A man from the back of the group runs forwards and kicks, I try to dodge, but take the hit to the back.

I slam my hands onto the floor and twist, bringing my legs up in a sweeping motion, connecting with the mans jaw. He lands on the guy with the broken nose.

There are three left standing and I feel tired and worn. Two men run forward at the same time, I stand in front of the one on my right and kick from the right, pushing him into the other man. They fall over their pinned comrade and into the wall. I turn to the last man, there is a noise from behind me and I turn to the side, bending backwards a little. I see three shuriken fly where my head was just seconds before; I watch their path into the left arm of the last man standing.

"Didn't you notice the sword in his hand? You aren't ready to combat that without weapons yet." It's Kyori. The man screams as the sword thuds onto the floor and he looks at the damage done to his arm. "It's time to go."

I take one last look at the men and follow Kyori out of a nearby window and onto the roof. Kin and Megumi are there waiting, the scroll strapped to Megumi's back securely.

Kyori leads the way out of the compound so we avoid the guards. We run as fast as we can into the desert and away from the tiny town, towards the natural rock formation that we've been camping at throughout the course of the mission.

We collect our bags and start the journey to the meeting point.

"Thanks Yuki. For back there." Megumi falls into step along side me.

"Not a problem. There were so many anyway. You strength isn't in close combat, you know that." I sigh, "I feel like it was a test for me. But Kyori had to bail me out, so I feel like I failed."

"I didn't bail you out. I assisted my team mate, just like you did for Megumi. And you didn't break the rules. If that was a test, I'd say you passed."

"How's your arm Kin?" I ask. It's a little unnerving when Kin is quite and she doesn't have to be.

"Broken."

"I'm sorry. It was an accident. I would never break your arm on purpose, you know that!"

"I know. I'm just bummed that I didn't get to join in on the mission. It was our first C rank and all I got to do was sentry position."

"Kin, a sentry is very important. For instance, the compound we just robbed had very bad sentries. If they had good sentries, we would have had a harder time."

"Yeah, but how am I suppose to train with a broken arm?"

"Fighting with only one hand is difficult. But it is very useful. You can continue to train, but don't get into fights on purpose yet. I don't want to have to carry you around all the time."

We continue walking in silence for a little while, halfway to the meeting point.

"By the way, you two worked well together, Yuki, Megumi. I'd like to see the three of you working like that in future. If you do, you'll go far and be a fantastic, sort after team. No pressure meant, it's just I'd rather not out live you three."

"How morbid. Thanks though. That's the second highest praise you've given me." I say.

"Yeah. Thanks. I messed up though, I got hit by the enemy." Megumi mumbles, looking at her feet.

"You don't need to feel so bad. Some of those guys had had some training in taijutsu. And I'm not surprised you got hit, you've just added another weight on, it's slowed you down. Admittedly that was my fault. I'm sorry. Where did he hit you?"

"Just on the shoulder, I'd turned into it."

"Is everything alright? No broken bones or torn ligaments?"

"No, I think it'll just bruise and fade."

"I should have caught you, sorry." I look at her apologetically.

"No Yuki. You were right not to. I told you to not use your water and you didn't. If you had, they could have easily identified us."

Silence follows Kyoris' words. We all know what would happen if they'd identified us. The mission set to us was for us to get in and out without being identified. Had we been identified the mission would have been a failure. This is our test set by the Kazekage for us to progress to harder more complex missions." I don't think any of us wanted to think what could have happened if we had failed and been captured.

After walking for a few hours the sun begins sinking lower in the sky, stretching shadows covering the sand dunes in front of us. Judging by the lights in the distance, there's another town nearby. That's probably the one we're heading to.

"We're almost at the meeting site. We need to start heading west of the town ahead." Kyori says.

"Is it safe? We normally stop for the night."

"You will all be fine. You know I wouldn't let anything happen to you. It's my ass on the line after all."

We follow Kyori as she leads the way to a favourite meeting point of hers'. The sun sinks below the horizon as we walk, and the town glows gently in the darkness. As we approach a rock formation about 500 meters west of the town, there is a slight flicker of light for a split second. I stop, halting Kin and Megumi. Kyori notices and asks, "You saw it too?" I nod. "How many can you sense?"

I close my eyes and let my mind reach out to the rock. "Four." I open my eyes and look at her. "I sense four people. But I don't have any idea how strong they are."

"That's alright. They're on our side, remember?" Kyori smiles and continues walking to the formation.

"On time as always, Kyori. Hope the kids are alright." A tall, blond man walks out of the shadows and stops a few feet from us.

"You know me, I hate being late. How've you been, Katsuro?"

"Fine, the usual." He eyes us over Kyori's shoulder, "And you, little sister?"

I see Kin and Megumi exchange glances out of the corner of my eye, but keep my eyes focused on Katsuro. I have a bad feeling.

"I'm fine. I will be better when I can get to the town. I can't wait for a bath." Kyori turns to Kin, "The scroll." Kin pulls a small bit of paper out of her pocket and gives it to Katsuro.

"What's this? You were supposed to get the whole thing, not just a corner."

"Hold on, I've only got one arm in working order." Kin snaps.

Bitting her thumb, she draws a seal on the paper in Katsuros hand, once she finishes there's a poof of smoke and the scroll appears in place of the paper.

"Your scroll." Kin bows her head slightly and returns to Megumi's side.

"Bratty kids you've got, sis."

"They aren't bratty. You're just impatient. So, anything else or can we go?" Kyori glances at the lights of the town longingly.

"There is something else, but first, I want you to know something."

After a few moments of silence, Kyori speaks up "And that is?"

"I don't want you to train it."

"Train what?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

"I would like you to elaborate your meaning." Kyori's voice is filled with warning as she glares at Katsuro.

"I don't want you training that water demon brat and the wind freak. You know that's the only reason you wander the desert all the time. If you didn't have the freaks with you, you could come back home and only leave on missions."

"They aren't freaks. Or demons. Or even brats. They are young girls that are training to be shinobi, to protect their country, their town, and their loved ones. They are the villages' future and you will respect my decision to care."

"They ar-" Katsuro begins.

"What was the other thing? I don't want to hear another thing on the topic of your opinion of the girls. They are like the little sisters I never had." Kyori cuts him off. Kin steps forward and holds Kyoris hand. Megumi grabs mine, and I squeeze hers gently.

"There is a message for Kyori Shinada of the Village hidden in the Wind in regards to her students. Should she determine them eligible for the Chuunin Exams, she may return to the Village with them for confirmation and a small test for the students. If Kyori deems them suitable applicants for the exam, yet they fail the villages test, they will not be allowed to participate. The Exam commences in three months. Send word one month prior to the Exams commencement date." Katsuro recites the message as though he has a thousand times.

"Kyori, what are the Chuunin exams?" Megumi asks quietly in the following silence as Katsuro and Kyori stare at each other.

"I'll tell you three later." She sighs, "Katsuro-kun, I know we have never been the closest brother and sister, but can you just trust me on this? They're good kids and they're fun to be with. They care about each other and everyone they meet, they'd be better healers then fighters, but there never are enough medical ninja, are there? Please let go of your grudge. They have never harmed anyone intentionally that wasn't an opponent."

"I will see you around, little sister." All four of them set off to the west. Kyori turns to us.

"The town is a half an hour walk to the east, when we get a room and get cleaned up, I'll explain everything." Without waiting for an answer, Kyori leads the way to the town.

Once we've checked into the inn, bathed and changed clothes, we go the closest restaurant. We place our order and the waitress walks away. Kin, Megumi and I all turn to Kyori.

"I guess you girls want an explanation?" We all nod. "Alright. First off, you should all know that a Chuunin is a second level ninja. They tend to do D and C rank missions, but occasionally does B rank, depending on the situation. The Chuunin exams are the easiest way for you to become a Chuunin. They are held twice a year, and all the hidden villages send their Genin that are ready to the exam in hopes of fostering friendship between villages and to test the Genin. The Kazekage has said that you may be offered up for the Exam, but only if you think you are ready and if I agree. This will be one of the more difficult things you have done so far, and there is a possibility that you could die, so I don't want to know if you want to do it yet, you must think about it first. There is always next time. And before you think that your answer decides if we go to Suna or not, think again. We have to go there anyway."

The waitress places our food in front of us, while another puts our glasses on the table. "Itadakimasu" Kyori mutters, and then starts eating. I look at my plate, and even though I'm famished, I can't find the energy to pick up the chopsticks.

I'm going back. Finally going back.

"Yuki, eat. You've used a lot of energy today and you need to eat." Kyori says, nudging me.

I pick up the chop sticks but I don't feel real, I eat in silence while Kin and Megumi talk about the mission.

"Kyori." I say.

"Yes Yuki?"

"Why did your brother call me a 'water demon brat'?" I can't stop staring at the plate.

"Because he's an idiot. Don't worry about him." She replies, patting my shoulder gently.

"But that's not the first time I've been called a demon. Am I one?" I manage to tear my eyes away from my food in front of me. She meets my eyes with her own.

"No. And you never will be one. Ever. You have a water spirit trapped inside of you and the villages only see that. That includes my brother, unfortunately. But you are in no way, shape or form demonic. I promise you." Kyori wraps her arm around my shoulders and pulls me into a hug.

"Who was he talking about when he said wind freak? I can only use water." I look into her face and try to read her expression.

"I think he meant me." Kin mumbles.

"Why would he mean you?" Megumi asks as we look at her.

"Kin has a wolf spirit in her, which enables her to control the wind. She always has and Katsuro has never been able to accept that she is a perfectly innocent child that is a little different."

"We're the same." I murmur, surprised. Kin looks at me disbelievingly.

"How are we the same, Yuki? I should have been there to save my parents. They're dead because of me. Yours are alive."

"Are they? I have no idea if they are Kin, I was abandoned, remember? And from the sound of things, you didn't kill your parents, their own actions did."

"That's enough. Both of you finish your food and once we're done here, you will go to your rooms and not leave the inn until I say so in the morning." Sometimes, Kyori acts just like a mother.

We resume our meals in silence. Once we've finished, Kyori pays the bill and leads the way to the inn. Bidding everyone goodnight, I walk into my room and lock the door.

I drag my bag into the bathroom and start the shower. I stare into the mirror as steam fills the room. "You're going home." Three simple words muttered to a reflection. It's amazing how it shook my world to the foundations.

Well now, that didn't take as long as the last few. I'll admit, it isn't as long, but this is a bridging chapter. Just have to get to the next one. But I think it went well…


End file.
